Adrenal Tumors: Incidentalomas

This term is used to refer to tumors that are found unexpectedly during diagnostic testing for unrelated reasons, which happens often. Each year, CT or MRI scans of the abdomen reveal small adrenal cortex tumors in about 5 percent of people over age 50. While most incidentalomas are benign, a small percentage of them are either malignant or functional and have to be removed.

High blood pressure is the most common sign of incidentalomas. Other symptoms include flushing, palpitations, muscle weakness, and anxiety. Some people have no noticeable symptoms, while other people may assume their symptoms are related to a different health condition.